The winner of the Ocean Storytelling Film Grant is announced!

The inaugural Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) Ocean Storytelling Film Grant (OSTG) has been awarded to a film project that will tell a story of deep conservation urgency. By providing funding and mentorship for an emerging natural history storyteller, the SOSF and the OSTG mentors believe that some of the most critical stories will find the right audiences to catalyse positive change.

‘Film is one of the most powerful ways to tell a story,’ says Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) CEO Dr James Lea. ‘I first fell in love with sharks through film. How we feel, and even our world view, can be shifted dramatically by a mere few moments of impactful film. This is why introducing a film category to our Ocean Storytelling Grant has been so important to me, and I’m delighted we can support emerging filmmakers to create stories that will make a real difference.’

The SOSF is thrilled to announce that Gaurav Patil, a marine biologist turned visual artist and filmmaker from Mumbai, has been awarded the inaugural Ocean Storytelling Film Grant (OSTG). His application and pitch made it to the top after a rigorous review and selection process by the SOSF judges and OSTG mentors, comprising Oscar-winning director Pippa Ehrlich (My Octopus Teacher, Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey), award-winning underwater cinematographer Dan Beecham and BBC Natural History’s director of programmes Sreya Biswas.

‘We received incredible entries from regions all over the world and they covered everything from the protection of individual species to plastic pollution, to habitat restoration,’ says Pippa. ‘There were so many compelling and worthy film ideas, some of which were incredibly beautiful and others would be unbelievably impactful. There was a lot of imaginative writing in so many of the applications, while others had stunning footage. So we were really impressed with the finalists and it was very hard to make a decision.

Gaurav Patil. Photo © Sarang Naik

In the end, I think it really came down to looking at projects in terms of the mission of the SOSF: what kind of impact can we make for the protection of our oceans?’

As Mumbai expands its infrastructural ambition deeper into the sea, a team of wildlife scientists races to listen beneath the waves before the last remaining dolphins and porpoises of Mumbai fall silent.

Humpback dolphin on Mumbai's coast. Photo © Sarang Naik

Urgency and impact underscore Gaurav’s proposed film, ‘Swimming in the noise’, which is set in Mumbai and South Maharashtra, where threatened Indian Ocean humpback dolphins and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises survive in increasingly polluted, noisy and shrinking coastal habitats.

‘Gaurav’s project stood out to us as it will shine a spotlight on a critical conservation issue and also has the potential to have a wide-reaching impact in the region,’ says Dan. ‘He himself is a fantastic candidate with the right level of experience to make this project happen under the mentorship of the OSTG team.’

Fisherman on a boat in Mumbai's Arabian Sea. Photo © Sarang Naik

Gaurav’s fascination with the natural world led him to pursue and achieve his MSc in marine biology at Karnatak University in India, but he has always tried to merge creativity and science. Throughout his university studies, he developed his photography and illustration skills alongside his acquisition of scientific training and natural history knowledge. He has carved out his own niche at the intersection of science, conservation and visual storytelling.

‘For a young filmmaker, this is an incredible opportunity,’ says Pippa. ‘Having a substantial budget to make a film with, and knowing that you have that money available, means that you can focus on crafting your story, putting the right team in place and getting your creativity right every step of the way, without having to worry about the fundraising and business side of filmmaking. To lean on the experience of the mentors will also hopefully be an absolute game-changer. We all – Sreya, Dan and I – have different skills and can add value at different parts of the filmmaking process. And we are really looking forward to working with Gaurav and helping him to craft a beautiful and impactful film.’